𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫 | n. tonks

xvii

Feeling a gentle hand on her shoulder, Hadley began to awake from her peaceful slumber. She felt the bed dip, and she rolled over, her eyes still shut. She didn't need to open them to know that it was Tonks. She'd recognize her touch anywhere.

"Softie," Hadley sing-songed quietly as she laid her head in the older girl's lap.

"Shut up." Tonks chuckled, undoing the loose twin braids in Hadley's red hair. She threaded her fingers gently through her silky locks.

"What time is it?"

"Early."

"Gross." Hadley groaned softly and pulled the blanket over her head. Her sleep schedule was so messed up from late nights over the summer that it was going to be difficult to get back into the routine of waking up early again. Finally opening her eyes, she shifted so that she could look up at Tonks. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to kidnap and murder your entire family, why else would I be here?"

Hadley laughed, and Tonks did too.

"I'm your escort. Duh." Tonks poked one of the dimples in Hadley's cheek. "I just wanted to see you smile."

After spending a few more minutes in bed, Hadley got dressed for the day and went downstairs for breakfast. Even though she took her time eating, the morning still went by too fast, and when the time came to say goodbye to her mum and dad, she burst into tears.

She hadn't cried about leaving yet. She spent the summer in denial, thinking that the day was never gonna come. But now here she was, standing on the front porch of her childhood home hugging her parents tight and not wanting to let go.

"Promise you'll write and keep us updated with everything," Molly said, holding her daughter's face and gently using her thumb to brush the tears off her cheeks.

"I will, Mum." Hadley hugged her one more time, telling herself that it wasn't goodbye, just a 'see you later'. She'd be home for Christmas before she knew it.

─── ⋆·✧·⋆ ───

There was one room at Grimmauld Place that Hadley had never been in. She'd avoided it because she didn't want anyone to think that she was snooping. While everyone else was downstairs, Hadley managed to sneak away and enter the room with the Black family tree.

When she first met Andromeda over the summer, the first thing she thought was how much she looked like Bellatrix Lestrange. She didn't come right out and ask her if they were related. "Hey, are you and that psycho that tried to kill me family?" isn't exactly something you'd ask someone you just met.

Sure enough, right there on the tapestry with her portrait burned out was Andromeda, Bellatrix's picture right above. She examined the walls that the family tree covered, feeling saddened when she saw Sirius' burned portrait.

"How thick do you have to be to disown your own kids just because they don't believe that the bloodline should stay pure?" Tonks asked as she walked into the room. Hadley turned to look at her. "Purebloods are all insane...No offense."

"None taken. You're right." Hadley chuckled a little. "They'd commit incest just to keep their perfect blood from being contaminated."

"And they don't think there's anything wrong with it."

"It's disgusting." Hadley shook her head.

"It's disturbing."

"They make the rest of us look bad."

"And they think that you're the blood traitors when really you're the sane one's," Tonks said.

"I don't even understand why blood status matters in the first place. We're all magical, no matter who we come from." Hadley looked at the tapestry. "So, if your mum is Bellatrix's sister, and Bellatrix's other sister is Draco's mum..." She turned back to Tonks. "I refuse to believe you're related to that stuck-up prick and that homicidal maniac."

"It's crazy, I know." Tonks chuckled. "I've done some research of my own and found out that your family is related to the Malfoys, too. Very distantly, of course."

"What?!" Hadley gasped. "No. No, absolutely not. I am not related to that foul little cockroach!" She slapped Tonks' arm lightly when she laughed. "It's not funny!"

"Haddie, relax. It's not even that close of a relation. It's not like you're his cousin through your mums. Besides, I think it's only a relation through marriage, anyway."

"My father will hear about this," Hadley mumbled in her best Draco voice, chuckling a little when Tonks did too. "My faaahtherrrrr! I'm a whiny little rich boy, and my faaahther will hear about this!" Hadley pouted her lip, crossed her arms, and stomped her foot, struggling to keep a straight face as Tonks laughed.

"Merlin, you're awful." Tonks wiped away a tear from all the laughing.

"You know what would be awful? If you morphed into Lucius and scolded his spoiled ass."

"Hadley Weasley, that is the cruelest idea ever...I love it."

"Really?" Hadley smirked teasingly. "It's not too childish, Little Miss Serious Auror?"

Tonks playfully rolled her eyes. "Maybe it's okay to be a little childish sometimes." She shrugged.

"I think I've been a bad influence on you," Hadley said as they left the room, Tonks closing the door behind them.

"You think?" Tonks laughed. She tripped over nothing, accidentally pushing Hadley down to the ground with her when the redhead turned around.

It happened fast. Hadley landed on her back with a hard thud, but the only thing she could focus on was the feeling of Tonks on top of her. Her cheeks flushed; probably as red as her hair.

"S-Sorry, uh, I...I-I'm really clumsy," Tonks stammered, her eyes flickering between Hadley's lips and her beautiful ocean orbs.

"I-It's okay," Hadley whispered, her gaze also drifting down to Tonks' lips.

"So, uh...y-you okay down there?"

Hadley giggled softly. "Yeah. Are you?"

"Yeah." Tonks' stomach was fluttering with butterflies, and she could feel her cheeks heating up. She cupped her cheek, her thumb caressing it softly. "You know...it doesn't really matter that there are psychos in my family."

"It doesn't?" Hadley questioned.

"It doesn't," Tonks whispered, shaking her head. "You're my family now."

She leaned down and pressed her lips to Hadley's, the younger girl instantly closing her eyes and kissing back.